Monthly Archives: June 2015

Jun 18 2015

Book Review: Show and Prove by Sofia Quintero

 

23395349By Cecilia Cackley

DESCRIPTION: (from Goodreads):

The summer of 1983 was the summer hip-hop proved its staying power. The South Bronx is steeped in Reaganomics, war in the Middle East, and the twin epidemics of crack and AIDS, but Raymond “Smiles” King and Guillermo “Nike” Vega have more immediate concerns.

Smiles was supposed to be the assistant crew chief at his summer camp, but the director chose Cookie Camacho instead, kicking off a summer-long rivalry. Meanwhile, the aspiring b-boy Nike has set his wandering eye on Sara, the sweet yet sassy new camp counselor, as well as top prize at a breakdancing competition downtown. The two friends have been drifting apart ever since Smiles got a scholarship to a fancy private school, and this summer the air is heavy with postponed decisions that will finally be made.

Raw and poignant, this is a story of music, urban plight, and racial tension that’s as relevant today as it was in 1983.

MY TWO CENTS: You know when you read a book and the elements are familiar but still feel entirely new and fresh? That’s this book. There are so many different ways you can read it! It’s a summer book about camp trips and hanging out with friends and neighbors. It’s a relationship book about negotiating feelings and mistakes and tragedy. It’s a political book, examining identity and racism and bias in a way that never feels forced. It’s a slice of history, transporting the reader to a specific moment in the history of hip-hop and showing the importance of that music to teenagers of the time. This book will make you head straight for You Tube to listen to the songs that are mentioned and watch videos of breakdancing, I promise. Quintero doesn’t shy away from presenting her two narrators as stubborn and sometimes self-centered. But however much they screw up, you never stop rooting for them to fix their mistakes and follow their dreams. Show and Prove releases July 14, 2015.

TEACHING TIPS: There have been quite a few YA books set in the 80’s lately, so it would be fun to compare and see what world events and pop culture references show up in each one. Show and Prove also provides a great starting point for class discussions about racism, poverty and marginalized communities. This would be a fun literature complement to a music or arts class studying hip-hop as well.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from Amazon): After graduating from Columbia University with a BA in history-sociology and an MPA from its School of International and Public Affairs, Sofia Quintero began her first career as a policy analyst and advocate. She worked for various nonprofit organizations and government agencies including the Vera Institute of Justice, Hispanic AIDS Forum, and the New York City Independent Budget Office. After years of working on diverse policy issues, however, Sofia heeded her muse to pursue an entertainment career.

Determined to write edgy yet intelligent novels for women who love hip hop even when hip-hop fails to love them in return, Sofia wrote her debut novel Explicit Content under the pen name Black Artemis. Booklist said of her debut, “Fans of Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever will find this debut novel just as tantalizing. . .” Since then Sofia has authored four more novels and almost twice as many short stories and novellas including her award-winning young adult debut Efrain’s Secret (Knopf 2010.)

She recently earned an MFA in writing and producing TV at the TV Writers Studio of Long Island University and contributed the children’s anthology What You Wish For, the proceeds of which go to build libraries for Darfuri children in Chad. Her journalistic writings have been published in Urban Latino, New York Post, Ms., Cosmopolitan for Latinas and El Diario/La Prensa.

As an educator, she is a writing mentor at Urban Word NYC, a teaching artist at the National Book Foundation’s reading program BookUpNYC and the co-publisher of the hip-hop feminist curriculum Conscious Women Rock the Page. Sofia was nominated for the Women’s Media Center Social Media Award in 2010.

RESOURCES: Pinterest page by the author: https://www.pinterest.com/blackartemis/show-and-prove-a-young-adult-novel-by-sofia-quinte/

I couldn’t find any other interviews or resources out right now. However, Sofia Quintero told me on Twitter that she’s working on a cultural dictionary app and a You Tube playlist of all the songs mentioned.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT Show and Prove visit your local library or bookstore. Also, check out WorldCat.org, IndieBound.org, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

 

Cackley_headshotCecilia Cackley is a performing artist and children’s bookseller based in Washington DC where she creates puppet theater for adults and teaches playwriting and creative drama to children. Her bilingual children’s plays have been produced by GALA Hispanic Theatre and her interests in bilingual education, literacy, and immigrant advocacy all tend to find their way into her theatrical work. You can find more of her work at www.witsendpuppets.com.

Jun 15 2015

Book Review: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

 

19542841By Cecilia Cackley

DESCRIPTION: The Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-relief procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto — miracle cure-alls don’t tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. But Aaron can’t forget how he’s grown up poor or how his friends aren’t always there for him. Like after his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. Aaron has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his distant brother and overworked mother, but it’s not enough.

Then Thomas shows up. He has a sweet movie-watching setup on his roof, and he doesn’t mind Aaron’s obsession with a popular fantasy series. There are nicknames, inside jokes. Most importantly, Thomas doesn’t mind talking about Aaron’s past. But Aaron’s new-found happiness isn’t welcome on his block. Since he can’t stay away from Thomas or suddenly stop being gay, Aaron must turn to Leteo to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he is.

Adam Silvera’s extraordinary debut novel offers a unique confrontation of race, class and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.

MY TWO CENTS: Aaron Soto is an easy character to root for in this ever-so-slightly sci-fi story of relationships and sexuality. Aaron seems to fit into his world pretty easily at the start of the book. Although he lives with an overworked mother, a disinterested brother, and the ghost of his father who committed suicide in their one-bedroom apartment, Aaron spends much the first half of the novel playing aggressive games of manhunt with his friends and having romantic moments with his girlfriend. But the smiley-faced scar on Aaron’s wrist is a visible reminder the pain that underlies these seemingly normal moments, and when a major twist occurs later in the novel, various truths are revealed and show the tangle Aaron’s gotten himself into. There are no easy answers for anyone, and scars both visible and invisible are explored in this thought-provoking debut, which has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. This will appeal to fans of A.S. King, John Corey Whaley and Aaron Hartzler.

TEACHING TIPS: Lots for a literature group or book club to unpack here! Aaron makes lots of decisions that teens can discuss and decide whether or not they would choose differently. The concept of Leteo is one that provokes strong opinions and could be combined with research into brain science and psychology, including the recent news that MIT researchers found a drug that erases traumatic memories in mice and could be developed for human use. Memory erasing could move from sci-fi to non-fiction in the coming years, which would be a worthy topic for discussion and debate in classrooms.

                                                       Photo by Margot Wood.

Photo by Margot Wood

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Adam Silvera was born and raised in the Bronx and is tall for no reason. He was a bookseller before shifting to children’s publishing where he worked at a literary development company, a creative writing website for teens, and as a book reviewer of children’s and young adult novels. He lives in New York City.

Resources: http://www.hypable.com/cover-reveal-more-happy-than-not-plus-an-interview-with-author-adam-silvera/

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT More Happy Than Not visit your local library or bookstore. Also, check out WorldCat.org, IndieBound.org, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Jun 11 2015

Book Review: Finding the Music/En Pos de la Música by Jennifer Torres

 

finding the music coverBy Sujei Lugo

DESCRIPTION FROM THE BOOK JACKET: Above Reyna’s favorite booth in her family’s restaurant hangs the old vihuela, a small guitar-like instrument, that belonged to her abuelito when he was in a mariachi band. Reyna has never heard the vihuela played, but her mamá treasures the instrument as a reminder of abuelito and his music. One noisy day in the restaurant, Reyna accidentally damages the vihuela. Determined to get it repaired before Mamá notices, Reyna sets out to search her neighborhood for someone who can help her fix the instrument. Little does Reyna know that along the way she will find herself growing closer to abuelito and to the power of his music.

MY TWO CENTS: From the winner of the 2011 Lee & Low Books New Voices Award, here we have a bilingual story filled with charm that showcases the power of music as an intergenerational unifier.

Every weekend, Reyna hangs out at her mom’s restaurant, Cielito Lindo, reading and enjoying the cast of characters that visit the place. One day, she accidentally breaks her grandfather’s precious vihuela that hanged on one of the restaurant’s walls. Reyna never met her abuelito, but her mother’s tales about him and the way he played the vihuela are near and dear to her. Reyna knows she must embark on a journey to fix her abuelo’s beloved instrument.

This journey will bring her to learn, first hand, about his legacy and the importance of music and the power of community engagement. Throughout each page, and Reyna’s conversation with different community members, her abuelo’s presence can be felt. Jennifer Torres uses Reyna’s journey as a great portrayal of how meaningful everyday life is for a community. The vihuela becomes a powerful artifact that jump-starts the memory of the past, the important history of the community that tends to be invisible but is so essential to understanding the present. The broken vihuela reveals other anecdotes from the past that will help Reyna see the bigger picture of who her abuelo was and how the community remains united through their shared past. And it is through oral history and the passing of this knowledge that Reyna becomes aware of the real importance behind the vihuela and why it was hanging on the wall. The breaking of the vihuela is not a tragedy, but the catalyst for Reyna to better understand where she came from and get closer to her mother and her community.

The realistic illustrations by Renato Alarcão, enhance the warmth of the tale and allow readers to see the characters’ expressions and feelings. Each image is filled with pastel colors and a consummated care to portray the connection and relations of the characters. The illustrations really echo a phrase said by Reyna’s mother at the beginning of the story, “these are the sounds of happy lives.” The illustrations truly convey the sounds of these lives.

Torres’s first picture book, Finding the Music/En Pos de la Música, is a solid work that is very much welcomed. The importance of oral history, the unifying qualities of music and the importance of preserving the artifacts that trigger the remembrance of who we were are all important concepts to help spark the curiosity of children among their own families and communities. We are in a constant search of adequate representation and we sometimes fail to see that in our own stories lie strong narratives that empower us and unite us.

*The book includes a glossary and pronunciation guide. The backstory of the Cielito Lindo and author’s note about mariachi music and band are also apprehended. Spanish translation by Alexis Romay.

musicstore
TEACHING TIPS: This bilingual picture book is recommended for children ages 4-9, and works well for early readers and as a read aloud with musical interventions as a bonus. Librarians, parents, grandparents, and caregivers can read with the young ones in English, Spanish, or both, while practicing or learning new vocabulary, identifying the different images and community components presented through the illustrations. It’s also a perfect book for a StoryWalk, given that our main character walks around her neighborhood finding some clues and stories about her abuelo. StoryWalk allows people to visit different points (parks, local stores, buildings) around the neighborhood where pages of the books are spread, they would walk to one point to another to follow the story.

Language Arts, Social Studies, Arts, and Music educators can collaborate in the development of different activities: vocabulary and writing activities, discussions and conversations regarding community, neighborhoods and Mexican, Chicano, and Latino history; the incorporation of drawings with writing activities; and the history of Mexican folk music. The author includes helpful activities for the Language Arts classroom: Story Map and Mini-Memoir. On the publisher’s website, you can access teaching guides developed for this book and other resources.

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR:

Jennifer Torres is a freelance journalist, author, and coordinator of a community-wide literacy initiative at University of the Pacific, California. She studied journalism at Northwestern University, Illinois and at University of Westminster, London, England. Torres also worked as reporter for The Record newspaper, covering education, immigration, and other issues related to children and families. FINDING THE MUSIC/EN POS DE LA MÚSICA is her first picture book and her first middle grade novel, STEF SOTO, TACO QUEEN, will be published in Fall 2016.

Renato Alarcão is a graphic designer, illustrator and professor of visual arts. He studied in the Illustration as a Visual Essay program at the School of Visual Arts of New York and at The Center for Book Arts. In addition to his work as an illustrator, Alarcão has collaborated in different youth arts projects and has presented lectures on illustration, creativity, and artistic techniques. He has presented his work in exhibitions at the American Institute for the Graphic Arts, the American Society of Illustrators, the New York Public Library, the Skirball Cultural Center of Los Angeles, the Biennale of Illustrations in Bratislava, where he won the NOMA Prize for Illustrated Book. Some of his illustrated books: RED RIDIN’ IN THE HOOD: AND OTHER CUENTOS by Patricia Santos Marcantonio, SOCCER STAR by Mina Javaherbin, ROBERTO’S TRIP TO THE TOP by John B. Paterson & John Paterson, ELLA ENFEITIÇADA by Gail Carson Levine, Andiana Figueiredo.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT Finding the Music/En Pos de la Música visit your local library or bookstore. Also, check out WorldCat.org, IndieBound.org, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Jun 10 2015

Summer Reading Picks for You!

 

Summer Reads

Summer’s upon us, and we’re here to help you choose the right Latin@ kid-lit for your young readers. Putting together a fun and useful list was a matter of posing six questions to our contributing book specialists, Lettycia Terrones, Cecilia Cackley, Marianne Snow and Sujei Lugo. We love the variety and originality of their answers and bet you will too. Take this list to your local library or bookstore and stock up!

1. Is there a brand-new release you can’t wait to get your hands on?

Lost in NYC

Lettycia: Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure, a TOON Graphic release written by Nadja Spiegelman and illustrated by Sergio Garcia Sanchez. It tells the story of a group of kids on a New York City field trip. Things go haywire when Pablo gets separated from the rest. This title will also be released in Spanish. At TOON Books, get a glimpse of the stunning illustrations. Cesar_Chavez_Cover

Lettycia: Luis y Jennifer en: César Chavez & la máquina de tiempo, by Juan Carlos Quezadas and Bernardo Fernández. Written in Spanish, this book follows time travelers to 1966, where they encounter adventures in the vineyards of California during the height of César Chavez’s campaign. For purchasing information, go to LA Librería.

Funny Bones

Sujei: Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras, by author-illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh. Here, Tonatiuh lends his artistic power to the amazing story of the 19th-century Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, whose calavera drawings have become synonymous with El Día de los Muertos. For more information, see Abrams Books.

Sujei: The Great and Mighty Nikko! A Bilingual Counting Great and Mighty NikkoBook, written and illustrated by Xavier Garza. It’s bedtime, but Nikko must first wrestle masked luchadores! How many of them are there? Uno, dos, tres…Learn more at Cinco Puntos Press.

Drum Dream GirlThree of our contributors chose Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music, written by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Rafael López. It’s based on the true story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a young Cuban in the 1930s who defied the social stigma against female drummers. Marianne says, “I’ll read anything that Margarita Engle writes and Rafael López’ illustrations are sumptuous.” Cecilia and Sujei feel much same, and apparently, so does Kirkus!

 

2. Oldies, but goldies! Which classic book do you wish every kid would read?

taste_of_the_mexican_market_sml

Marianne: El gusto del mercado mexicano/ A Taste of the Mexican Market, by Nancy María Grande Tabor. Marianne: “This book beautifully weaves together math, science, and culture as the author takes readers on a tour of a traditional Mexican market.” For a peek at the gorgeous interior of this award-winning book, go to the official Charlesbridge page.

Cuba 15Cecilia: Cuba 15, by Nancy Osa. Nudged by her grandmother, a Cuban-American girl reluctantly dives into preparations for her quinceañera. Click here for more information on this multiple award-winner.

Streets are freeSujei: The Streets are Free, by Kurusa. Kids in a Venezuelan barrio realize that if they’re ever going to get a playground, they’ll have to build it themselves. This inspiring book is based on a true story. Learn more at Scholastic.

 

 

3. Is there an adorable picture book you’d like to remind readers about? 

Counting with FridaSujei: Counting with Frida/Contando con Frida, by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein. It’s a bilingual board book from Lil’ Libros that employs images inspired by the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo to teach counting. Looks irresistible!

ChavelaMarianne: Chavela and the Magic Bubble, written by Monica Brown and illustrated by Magaly Morales. This book takes readers on a magical ride to the sapodilla tree, the source of chicle, essential to the manufacture of chewing gum. “You can’t go wrong with colorful illustrations, magic realism, a sweet family story, and bubble gum,” Marianne explains. Check out this review on La Bloga.

Knit TogetherCecilia: Knit Together, by Angela Dominguez. It’s the story of a collaboration between a knitting mom and a daughter who draws. The adorable illustrations pay tribute to the textures and colors of yarn. See more on Angela’s website!

 

 

4. Everybody has at least one fabulous book on their must-read list. What’s yours? 

Alamo WarsMarianne: Alamo Wars, by Ray Villarreal. “I’m immensely interested in Texan history and multiple perspectives (Tejano, Mexican, Anglo) about historical events, and this middle-grade book tackles those topics by exploring how a school struggles to address controversial representations of the past when they put on a play about the Battle of the Alamo. Should be fascinating!” Here’s the book’s page on Amazon.

Evelyn overSujei: The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, by Sonia Manzano, of Sesame Street fame. Evelyn is a Puerto Rican girl living in New York City’s Spanish Harlem, and coming of age just as the activist group known as the Young Lords is creating literal and political heat in the barrio. Read the Latin@s in Kid Lit review here.

5. Which book have you found impossible to put down? In fact, you’re sure somebody should make a movie of it!

Smell of old lady perfumeMarianne: The Smell of Old Lady Perfume, by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez. She says, “Martinez’ novel addresses subjects like family, loss, and friendship with grace, warmth, and understanding, and reading it felt like coming home.” This novel garnered a long list of honors for its portrayal of a young girl whose life in a Texas border town undergoes upheaval when her father suffers a stroke. Read more on the Cinco Puntos site.

ShadowshaperCecilia and Sujei both got hooked by Daniel José Older’s debut YA novel, Shadowshaper– a mystical fantasy thriller starring Sierra Santiago, a 15-year-old Brooklyn girl of Afro-Caribbean heritage with supernatural connections. Publishers Weekly gave it a solid thumbs up.

Gabi A GirlSujei: Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, by Isabel Quintero. The author took the book world by storm in 2014, crafting her main character through strongly voiced and often humorous diary entries. Gabi is a Mexican American high school girl whose friendships, romantic crushes and family troubles create a dramatic mix. Here’s our book talk.

AristotleFor this category, Lettycia seconded the nomination of Gabi and also chose Pura Belpré winner Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz. It’s the moving story of the tight friendship and blossoming romance between two Latino boys. Here’s our review.

6. And now for the “wild card”– a category of your making. 

Niño wrestles the worldCecilia is ready to turn two recent books into plays–Niño Wrestles the World, by Yuyi Morales, and Drum Dream Girl, discussed above. Niño Wrestles the World is one of the most celebrated picture books in Latin@ children’s literature. Click here to read Sujei’s review and here, for Lettycia’s examination of the story’s fable elements.

My daughter my sonLettycia described her “wild card” choice as the “best book for parents to read with their kids.” It’s My Daughter, My Son, The Eagle, The Dove, written by Chicana poet Ana Castillo and illustrated by Susan Guevara. The book celebrates milestones in a child’s and family’s life. It’s an homage to traditional Aztec chants and includes art inspired by Aztec culture. See it at Barnes and Noble.

My feet are laughingThe final wild-card suggestion is in the category of poetry. In Sujei’s words, My Feet Are Laughing, by Lissette Norman, is “a poetry book that celebrates family and life in the city.” Sadie, the main character, calls New York City home. The poems highlight Dominican American life in the neighborhoods of Harlem. Here’s a review from Rhythm, the Library Dog!

 

For additional suggestions, check out this reading list from Edi Campbell and friends. It’s built around diverse books of all types, not just Latino reads. And at Latinas 4 Latino Lit, take advantage of a summer reading program designed especially for Latino families.

Meet our contributors:

Cecilia Cackley is a performing artist and children’s bookseller based in Washington DC, where she creates puppet theater for adults and teaches playwriting and creative drama to children. Cecilia’s interests include literacy, immigrant advocacy and bilingual theater.

Sujei Lugo has studied and worked in children’s library services in Puerto Rico and Massachusetts, where she is currently working toward her Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from Simmons College.

Marianne Snow is a doctoral student at the University of Georgia, where she researches Latin@ picture books, representations of Latin@ people in nonfiction children’s texts, and library services for Spanish-speaking children and families.

Lettycia Terrones serves as the Education Librarian at the Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton. Her research interests are in Chicana/o children’s literature and critical literacy.

 

 

 

 

Jun 8 2015

Guest Post: How My Life With a Guatemelan Street Dog Became a Children’s Book

DOLEY Cover PRINTBy Jill Brazier

Use your senses and pay attention to what’s around you. You never know where inspiration might strike! These are two of the lessons that I focus on when presenting my bilingual children’s book, Doley the Guatemalan Street Dog: The Sounds of San Marcos, to students. I never would have imagined that my time living in a treehouse above Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, and my special friendship with a starving little street dog, would direct the course of my life for years to come.

At 20 years old, I traveled by land from Seattle to Guatemala. The trip took over a year, with stops along the way to find work when the money ran out. Guatemala was never on my list, but I loved my time in Mexico and wanted to continue south. I joined up with a traveling companion for a long, bumpy, chicken-bus ride from Chiapas, Mexico, to Panajachel, Guatemala. An immediate and special feeling for this country struck me. I was determined to find a way to stay in this beautiful land.

I found a work/trade in a meditation center in the little village of San Marcos La Laguna, one of twelve villages around Lake Atitlan. There was no electricity there at the time. We lit our way with candles, stars and moonlight. My home was a simple bamboo treehouse with one room, a doorway, two windows, and gauze curtains for privacy. At night, I would sit in my treehouse and listen to the many sounds of San Marcos. The breeze blew in, offering constant connection with the lush natural environment.

One day, I was preparing a meal in the community kitchen when a tiny, frantic puppy ran in and looked at me with desperation. She had one bright blue eye and one brown eye. After I instinctively gave her a tiny piece of bread, this little puppy visited me daily. She had mange, a belly full of worms, layers of ticks in her ears, and malformed legs which made it difficult for her to walk. I took care of all of these problems, one by one. I wrapped half an ace bandage around each of her legs so that she could walk without her legs buckling, and fed her eggshells to strengthen her bones. Over time, she healed and followed me everywhere I went. Soon, this Guatemalan street dog had a name: Doley. This was the beginning of our fourteen-year friendship as best friends and travel companions.TenderHowling

Doley would sleep in the treehouse with me at night, cuddling right into the crook of my stomach. Often, she would wake up to the sound of other street dogs howling and barking, and insist on being taken down from the treehouse, to run and howl with the other dogs. All of these real life experiences, which Doley and I shared during our time together in Guatemala, appear in the book.

The Sounds of San Marcos, was released independently in 2012. The theme of sounds emerged as I wrote the story and reflected on Doley’s acute sensory awareness of everything around her as a street dog, and our rich, sensory experience of living a treehouse in Guatemala. Readers learn the importance of listening – a vital lesson for students and young people! I further developed the idea to make Doley a series based on the five senses.

With beautiful artwork by Nicaraguan artist Marcio Diaz, the story comes to life in the vivid color of Guatemalan and Latin American culture. After looking for the right artist for many years, I finally discovered Marcio, whose ability to express profound feeling with bold color evokes the look and feel that I wanted. Marcio says, “In the brushstrokes of a painter, lays the history of his people.”

I want to FlyIt can feel like a daunting task to create something new and find a place for it in the world! There are many ways to share our stories and creative visions. For this project, I chose to publish independently in order to create the books in exactly the look and feel that I wanted. There are many ways to publish these days, and advantages and disadvantages to each. Artists and authors can choose which path to take according to the particular project, goals, intentions, budget, and timeline.

Publishing independently was the right place to start for Doley, and I am thrilled with the result. Everything about it is true to my vision and meets my standards of excellence. Moving forward, I will find a strategic partner to maximize the potential of the Doley series and accompanying reading guides.

Brown and BlueThe Read with Doley Reading Guide, developed according to the National Common Core Standards (K-2 Literature), consists of 134 bilingual questions and answers, designed to engage students in language learning and encourage them to think beyond the text, and is available to download for free on my website. Doley believes in education!

The next book in the series, Doley the Guatemalan Street Dog: The Caravan of Colors, will be released in September 2015 and also features the remarkable artwork of Marcio Diaz, along with its own reading guide. The story is inspired by some traveling performers I met in Guatemala and my own love of trapeze. The Caravan of Colors gives Doley the chance to explore the world around her through the sense of sight, and provides lessons about perseverance and friendship along the way.

It is always a joy to share Doley and the inspiration for the book with students – and to remind them to listen carefully and pay attention. You never know where inspiration will strike or where it may lead you! I am so grateful for where inspiration has taken me.

For purchasing options, and additional information, please visit Jill’s website,

JillWhen Jill Brazier isn’t writing about Doley, she works at a charming Italian restaurant in Seattle. She is a traveler, fitness enthusiast, yoga practitioner, and amateur trapeze artist. After Doley, Jill’s heart belonged to a 12-year old abandoned Husky. They spent three happy years together until she passed away at the age of 15. Jill remains without a dog for now, until the next one chooses her.

 

Jun 4 2015

Book Review: Joyride by Anna Banks

 

22718685By Cindy L. Rodriguez

PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION: A popular guy and a shy girl with a secret become unlikely accomplices for midnight pranking, and are soon in over their heads—with the law and with each other—in this sparkling standalone from NYT-bestselling author Anna Banks.

It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico.

Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber’s mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects.

All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.

MY TWO CENTS: In Joyride, Anna Banks creates two easily likable, sympathetic characters who are struggling between wanting to have normal, fun teenage lives and dealing with serious family issues.

Carly Vega is a smart, hard working Mexican-American teen who juggles going to school and working, sometimes until the early morning hours at a convenient store, to help raise enough money to bring her deported, undocumented parents back to the U.S.

Arden is a popular former football star who battles with his violent father in the wake of his sister’s suicide, which has left his mother heavily medicated and despondent.

In the opening scene, Arden pretends to hold up his uncle, Mr. Shackelford, outside the convenient store in an attempt to get him to stop driving drunk. Carly, who is working when this happens, responds by pulling out the store owner’s shotgun and chasing the masked bandit (Arden) off. Arden knows then that Carly is the perfect candidate to be his pranking buddy, a position once held by his sister. Love blossoms as the two spend more time together doing funny, gross things around town that are risky because Arden’s father is the racist local sheriff responsible for deporting Carly’s parents.

Throughout the novel, Carly struggles with competing desires. She wants her family to be intact again and wants to do all she can to help raise the thousands of dollars needed to help them cross the border again. She also wants, however, to do what normal teen girls do, like hang out with her boyfriend and use her money to buy things like new clothes and a laptop computer.

Without giving too much away, I’ll say that this YA contemporary, which tackles serious issues and has heavy doses of romance and humor, also has a plot twist that adds a whole new exciting vibe to the story. Carly and Arden’s relationship is threatened and they end up in a dangerous situation involving law enforcement and the illegal smuggling operation that promises to bring her parents home.

Told in alternating points of view–Carly’s is first person and Arden’s is third–Anna Banks’s Joyride is a page-turner filled with interesting, complex characters who fall in love and find common ground despite economic, racial, and cultural differences.

TEACHING TIPS: Joyride could be an option when teaching about immigration. I’m sure students would have lots of questions about the issues brought up with this book around Carly’s family’s situation. Do people really pay someone to escort loved ones across the border? What are the risks? Is it really that expensive? What happens if they get caught again? How often are American born teens separated from parents who are deported? Reading this novel as a companion to non-fiction research on these issues could offer multiple perspectives and make Carly Vega seem even more “real,” in that her situation is a common one.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from her website): NYT Bestselling YA author of The Syrena Legacy series: OF POSEIDON (2012) OF TRITON (2013) OF NEPTUNE (2014). Repped by rockstar Lucy Carson of the Friedrich Agency. I live with my husband and daughter in the Florida Panhandle. I have a southern accent compared to New Yorkers, and I enjoy food cooked with real fat. I can’t walk in high heels, but I’m very good at holding still in them. If you put chocolate in front of me, you must not have wanted it in the first place.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT Joyride visit your local library or bookstore. Also, check out WorldCat.org, IndieBound.org, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Also, check out the Q&A we did with Anna Banks earlier this week.